Not to wag our own tail….but…..Barks and Blooms first shared BRVBB on December 4, 2012. Here is the original blogpost, starring one of our fabulous clients, Sage.

Meet Sage. She is a vibrant, clever, goofy, rambunctious, gleeful Chocolate Lab. I met Sage almost 3 years ago when she was just a wee puppy.

Cute, isn’t she? Here’s another when she was just 12 weeks old. (By the way, I’ve shamelessly stolen these pics from her owners Facebook page–Hi Linda!)

Sage has grown up in the years since these were taken. Here’s a more recent photo.

Still stinkin’ cute, right? Sage is on her way to becoming a hero. ‎

Sage met with the wonderful people representing theBlue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank to determine if she would make a good voluntary canine blood donor. I tagged along to the 4 Paws Spa in Forest Hill to observe the process.

First, Sage gave the volunteers a good sniff. The next step was to make her comfortable on the table.

That step and the ones following were made easier (and yummier) for Sage because Linda kept a steady stream of kibble and peanut butter coming her way. Sage was one happy pup.

The Vet tech examined Sage, determining her comfort level with the process, and checking out the area of her neck where the blood would be drawn.

For that step, the other tech got into position and gave Sage a fully body hug while Linda kept up the flow of peanut butter and kibble.

Sage was so delighted with the treats and the constant positive attention from Linda and the tech that she didn’t even notice the needle prick and the blood draw. See how totally relaxed her legs are? She’s practically melting off the side of the table.

Sage’s blood will be tested to determine what her blood type is and screen it for any health issues that would make her unable to be a donor. (We know she’s absurdly healthy, but it’s an important step) And since Sage was so agreeable to this initial procedure Linda can now set up appointments for Sage to donate blood regularly. To find out how your dog(s) can be heroes, please contact The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank for more information.

Pay Invoices Online

We are NOT a rescue (we are a Petsitting and Dog Walking Company) but we are a passionate team of animal lovers..... and when we heard about a couple of puppies that were abandoned in the cold in Monroe over the weekend, we knew we had to act. We reached out to our many rescue partners for help and when we got the word they could help.......we drove immediately in between our client appointments and scooped them up. One of our amazing employees is temp fostering them.

We are sharing this because rescues are very full this time of year and endure costly medical expenses and these puppies will both need surgery for a condition known as Cherry eye. We will be following the law and reporting them to animal control but for now they are safe and warm in a loving foster home.

We want to share the wonderful rescue that so graciously made this possible. Ollie's Rescue in NY. If you have a few dollars to throw their way, we would be so grateful. Please let them know it is for the NC puppies (Holly & Dani). That's what we have named them. :) They are approximately 2-3 months old. They will go to NY and be up for adoption once they are healthy.

Please consider liking their page and supporting their cause to save abandoned and unwanted animals.

Not everyone is in a position to help animals but we all are in a position not to harm them. We can all do our part in little ways.